Open Data Cube (ODC): an open source project to better manage Satellite Data

Project Open Data Cube is a 100% open source project free for all to use and released under the liberal terms of the Apache 2.0. ODC was born out of the need to better manage Earth Observation/EOSatellite Data and has evolved to support interactive data science and scientific computing.

As the world develops, so does its knowledge of, and demand for EO satellite data. The primary problems for users are data access, data preparation, and efficient analyses to support user applications.

The data management and analysis challenges arising from the huge increase in free and open data volumes can be overcome with new computing infrastructures, technologies and data architectures, such as the “Open Data Cube” (ODC).

ODC initiative seeks to increase the value and impact of global EO satellite data by fostering freely accessible exploitation architecture, and by encouraging international community to develop, sustain, and enhance the technology and the breadth and depth of ODC applications for societal benefit. Through engagement with stakeholder organizations and current users, it is expected that the number of ODC implementations will increase and the ODC community will flourish with expanding contributions and impact.

This vision intends to support key ODC objectives, which include building the capacity of users to apply EO satellite data and to support global priority agendas, such as those found in the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (UN-SDG) and the Paris and Sendai Agreements. In order to ensure success, the ODC must establish a “brand” that users can trust and it must promote a positive user experience. This should be made possible through the development of an open source ODC community that is actively engaged and contributes to the core code, shares algorithms and provides support to each other for the resolution of problems.

Global interest in the ODC initiative has been promising and continues to make progress toward “acceptance” as a trusted solution which users value.

*** A new dataset has been released by the NASA Socioeconomic Data and Applications Center (SEDAC; WDS Regular Member). India Annual Winter Cropped Area, 2001–2016consists of annual winter cropped areas for most of India (excluding the northeastern states) from 2000–2001 to 2015–2016. The data can be used in land-cover and land-use change studies, agricultural applications, and to assist with policy-making in regards to sustainable agricultural intensification.